Steaming iron



Nov. 2.2, '1938. y QMCHAHN 2,137,387

STEAMING IRON Filed Feb. 3, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'C /135 /er Cha/Off).

Nov. 22, 1938.

C. M. CHAPIN STEAMING IRON Filed Feb. 3, 1936 2 Sheets-.Sheet 2 PatentedNov. 22, 19385 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 10 Claims.

This invention relates generally to pressing irons and has moreparticular reference to a combined steaming and pressing. iron adaptedespecially, though not exclusively, for the steaming l and ironing ofsilks and other similar textile goods and fabrics.

Silk goods are most successfully pressed and ironed with moist heat,which may be obtained either by moistening the goods with the aid of 10a damp cloth and heat, or the goods may be pressed while being moistenedwith live steam.

The latter method, which is the more practicable for a tailor-shop, maybest be accomplished by means of a so-called steaming-iron,

l5 that is to say, an iron heated by steam, a portion of the steam beingbled from the steamheating chamber of theiron and applied to the goodsthrough suitable apertures provided in the sole-plate of the iron.

In practice, however, so far as I am aware, it has been found that suchbled steam, or so-called steaming, commonly contains moisture not onlyas vapor, which is desirable, but also as water droplets, which latteris ruinous to silk `fabrics. 25 In other words, the steam is wet, whilewhat is wanted is dry steam containing no water as such, in either thedry, saturated, condition or, preferably, in the superheated state.

The inability of appliances, as at present in use,

I to provide asupply of dry steam to the vents in the sole of the ironhas, to my present knowledge, greatly militated against the successfulcommercial use of such so-called steaming-irons, notwithstanding thatthe tailoring and pressing 35 trade has long felt the need of such anappliance.

My invention has hence for its prime object the provision, in a pressingiron of the character described,`of means for supplying dry steam ineither its saturated or superheated state to tlie 40 vent-apertures inthe sole plate of the iron for facilitating and improving the ironingand pressing of silk fabrics and the like.

And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides inthe novel features of 4B form, construction, arrangement, andcombination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.i

In the accompanying drawings (two sheets)- Figure 1 is a top plan viewof a pressing iron 50 embodying my invention, merely a portion ofthesteam-supply and condensate-drain pipes being shown;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the iron, a portion of thecondensate-drain pipe be- Il ing also shown;

Figure 3 is a top plan sectional view of the iron taken approximatelyalong line 3 3. Figure 2, the condensate-drain pipe being omitted;

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the expansion valve of the iron,taken approximately 5 along the line 4 4, Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the iron, showing thesteam-vent-apertures in the sole-plate; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4, showing a 10 modified form ofexpansion valve.

Briefly, it may be said that my present steaming and pressing ironcomprises a metallic, preferably iron, body having, in the firstinstance, a steam pressure-chamber to which live steam, that is to say,steam under a suitable pressure above atmosphere, is admitted forproviding by the condensing, and giving up of the latent heat in theadmitted steam, the requisite pressing heat to the iron proper. Thispressure-chamber is provided with a bame arrangement for catching andimpounding, as condensate, the water of condensation, which latter isthen, in a simple and highly eiective manner, automatically evacuated orremoved from the pressure-chamber substantially as it is formed, for, insuch manner, maintaining the steam in the pressure-chamber substantiallyin its dry, saturated state.

From the upper portion'of the pressure-chami ber, the dry, saturatedsteam is bled and allowed to expand through a. suitable throttling andregulating valve of preferably the finger-tip control Variety. Inpassing through the expansion-valve, the steam is throttled down to alower pressure without loss of heat, and thereby becomes superheated,which so superheated steam is conducted through a suitable passage,sealed from the pressure-chamber, to a plenum steam distributing chamberprovided between the sole plate of the iron and the bottom wall of thepressure chamber, the heat from the latter serving to maintain theexpanded steam in its dry condition.

The expanded dry steam then escapes from the distributing chamberthrough a series of suitable vent-apertures provided inthe sole-platefor effecting moistening of the silk or other similar goods being workedupon.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to thedrawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, Adesignates the "iron-body or iron proper, and I may at this time statethat it is to be understood that the term iron or iron-body is employedin the commonly accepted connotation thereof as applied to a pressingiron or the like, and does not necessarily imply that such "iron" iscomposed oi iron-metal. but rather that the iron is composed of a bodyof suitable heat-conducting material, as cast-iron, aluminum, or thelike.

The iron body A is hollow or shell-like and within its walls isprovided, in the nrst instance, a steamor pressure-chamber B having inits rear wall I a steam supply port 2, into which is preferably threadeda suitable assembly of pipe fittings, as at 3, for attachment thereto o!a steam-supply hose or the like, not shown, for supply ot heating steamunder a suitable pressure above the atmosphere, as may best serve theintended purpose.

The pressure-chamber B is interiorly partially divided into a wet-steamor heel-portion 4 and a dry-steam or toe-portion by a pair of baille orwing walls 6, 1, which, rising from the floor 3 of the chamber B forsubstantially half the height thereof, extend laterally from thecorresponding side walls of the chamber B in oblique relationship to thelongitudinal axis oi the ironA and suitably overlap one another, so asto provide a gap or drainage slot 3 between their free ends, as bestseen in Figure 3.

These baille walls 6, 1, serve to most eil'ectively catch or entrain thedroplets of water which may, and commonly do, enter into the chamber Bwith the steam flowing through the port 2, and collect the same in theheel-portion 4 of the chamber B.

Moreover, the condensate or water of condensed steam made or occurringin the toe-portion 5 of the chamber B during the operation oi.' theiron, drains also into the heel-portion of the chamber B through theslot or gap 6 between the baiiies 6, 1, so that the steam which passesforwardly into the toe-portion 5 of the chamber B is deprivedsubstantially of its entrained water and is hence approximately in itsdry, saturated, state.

For eil'ecting removal of such drainage water, a trap structure C isbuilt into the iron-body A and comprises a well or recess III providedin` the floor 3 of the heel-portion 4 of the chamber B, into which thedrainage water may readily ow.

Rising from the well I0, is a vertical pipe or trap-leg II, which,resting on the bottom of the 'well III, is there provided with aplurality of ports I2 communicating the pipe I 'I with the well `III insuch manner as to permit the escape of drainage water from the well IIIinto the pipe` The openings or ports I2 are o! suiilcient size that theoutilowing steam will pass downwardly through the condensate wellthrough the ports I2 and thence through. the chamber I3 and the passageI1 to the outlet pipe I6. As the outilowing steam passes through thecondensate well and the port I2 it will entrain any moisture orcondensate which happens to be in its path, thereby eilective- 1yremoving such condensate.

At its upper end, the pipe II extends through and opens into a recess I3cored in a partition wall I4 extending forwardly from the rear wall Iand depending from the top wall I5 of the chamber B, which divides thechamber 4 longitudinally but so as to leave a suitable waterpassagespace between the partition I4 and the bottom wall 3 of the chamber B,as best seen in Figure 2. l

'I'he recess I3 is preferably closed' by a removable plug I6 forpermitting access to the recess I3 foreil'ecting repairs to the pipe II,and has communication with a passage I1 leading through the rear wall Ioi the iron A, the outer end ot the passage I1 being preferably threadedto receive a suitable iltting or assembly of fittings, as I3, to which ahose, as I9, may be connected to a conventional form of steam trap (notshown) for maintaining a predetermined back pressure in the steamchamber B.

Mounted exteriorly upon the upper wall I5 of the iron A, as by suitablyprovided lugs and bolts 2I, and disposed preferably over the nosechamber5, is an expansion valve D, best seen in Figure 4, which comprises .asuitable, preferably metallic, body having a vertical port 22 locatedfor registration with a port 23 provided in the top Iwall I5 incommunication with the nosechamber 5.

The port 22, in turn, communicates with a valve chamber 24 disposedpreferably in a horizontal plane and having at its inner end a conicalseat 25 for co-operation with a conical valve head 26 biased normallyupon the seat 25`by means oi a suitable tensional member in the form ofa coil spring 21, the latter bearing at its opposite ends upon the valve26 and a plug 23 threaded into the outer end of the valve chamber 24.

Through the valve seat 25, the chamber 24 is communicated with a recess29, into which also extends the small end of the valve 26. A spindle 30,slidably mounted through a stuffing box 3| provided on the valve body D,at its inner end impinges the end of the valve 26, the spindle 30 at itsouter end being seated in a socket 32 provided intermediate the ends ofa manipulative member in the form of a vertically disposed lever 33.

The lever 33 at its lower end is provided with an eye 34 slidablymounted on a stud 35 projecting from the body D, and a suitabletensional member in the form of a coil spring 36, mounted on the stud35, serves to normally bias the eye 34 on the head 31 of the stud 35, soas to form the pivot, as it may be said, for the lever 33.

The lever 33 extends obliquely rearwardly and upwardly and at its freeend is provided with .a nger-pad 38 disposed in suitably close adjacenceto the customarily provided handle 39 of the iron A, as best seen inFigure l.

The expansion valve D provides, as will be seen, a most convenient andeffective regulatory control of the now of steam from thepressure-chamber B for expansion through the valve D and is peculiarlyadapted Ior`intermittent or exacting work requiring precise control ofthe time of application and duration oi supply of moistening steam tothe goods being worked upon, as shortly more fully appearing.

Where, however, the work to be done is of. a continuous nature, it maybe desirable to pro'- vide for continuous flow of expanded steam forcloth-moistening purposes, and, in such case, the valve D may be removedfrom the iron A and in its place may be substituted a modiiied form ofexpansion valve D', best seen in Figure 6.

The valve D' comprises a valve-body to be mounted, similarly to thevalve D, on the nose of the iron A and is provided with a port 40 havingcommunication with the port 23 which leads into the pressure-chamber B.

At its upper end, the port 40 is provided with a conical seat 4I havingco-operation with the conical head of a needle-valve 42, whose stem 43is threaded, as at 44, into the body D' and, extending upwardly througha stufllng-box 45 provided thereon, is at its free end equipped with asuitable handle 46. As shown, the handle 46 is preferably slidablymounted on the stem 43 and provided with a set-screw 41, whereby thehandle recess 29 has communication through an oriilceaperture 48 with aport 48' disposed in registradownwardly throughl a pipe-like pillar 50connecting the upper wall i with the lower wall 8 for sealing thepassageway 49 Vfrom the chamber B.

Similarly, inthe valve D', in `Figure 6, the port 49, through the seat4I, has communication with a recess 5l which, in turn, `through anorificeaperture 52 and port 52', leads also to the passageway49 of theiron A.

In either case, the orifice r43, or 52, limits the maximum amount ofsteam supplied to the passageway 49 and also serves to provide athrottling expansion` to the steam 'when the valve D, or D', is widelyopened, the valve D, or D', thus providing an adjustable expansionorice, while the aperture 48, or 52, provides a fixed orice.

Either of the valves D, or D', when opened, will permit the flow of`steam therepast from the chamber B, where the steam `is` under acertain pressure above atmosphere, into the passageway 49, wherein thesteam will be at a lower or approximatelyA atmospheric pressure, forreasons soon to appear,

In such flow through the valve D, or D', the steam is subjected to athrottling expansion, wherein its total heat content is unaltered, sothat the expanded steam acquires a certain degree of superheat, highlybenecial to the present purpose of insuring a supply of dry steam to andin the passageway 49.

The passageway 49, at its lower end,l has communication with a plenum ordistribution chamber E, best seen in Figure 2, provided in the ironbodyA between the sole-plate 53 of the iron A'and the bottom wall 8 ofthepressure-chamber B, as best seen in Figure 2.

The dry steam in the passageway 49 flows into the chamber E, which is ofsuilcient volume to equalize 'the flow of steam throughout its extent sothat the steam escapes or is evacuated from the chamber E to atmosphere,or substantially so, in even volume through each of aplurality ofvent-apertures 54 provided in the sole-plate 53, a preferred arrangementof such vent-apertures 54 being shown in Figure 5.

In use and operation, steam at a suitable pres-l sure is supplied tothepressure chamber B, so as to heat the iron-body A to the desireddegree of temperature, and, the so-heated iron being applied to thegoods tov be pressed, the operator manipulates the valve D, or adjuststhe valve D', to supply dry, saturated steam to the goods through thevents 54 in the sole-plate of the iron in just the right amount andproper time for effecting the intended purpose. l

It will be seen that, by my new steaming iron, a supply of dry,saturated steam for pressing and ironing silks and other goods withmoist heat, is

at all times assured, whether the pressing operation be of anintermittent or a continuous nature.

The iron fuliills in every respect the objects stated, and it will beunderstood that changes `and modifications in the form, construction,ar-

rangement, and combination of the several parts of the iron may be madeand substituted for` Having thus described my invention, what I claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a. steaming iron, a body-member having n a steam chamber and inletand outlet ports to and from said chamber, a pair of non-parallel tionwith a port or passageway 49, which extends posed, vertical baillesdisposed in the body-member transversely across, and obliquely to thelongitudinal axis of, the chamber for separating the flow of incomingdry steam from the flow of returning moist steam andcondensate, andmeans operatively connected withA the steam chamber `for passing steamto the ironing face of the iron- 3` In a steaming iron, a body-memberhaving a steam chamber and inlet and outlet ports to and from saidchamber, a pair of non-parallel opposed, vertical bailles disposed insaid chamber obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the iron forseparating the ow of incoming dry steam from the flow of returning moiststeam and condensate, and means operatively connected withA the steamchamber for passing steam to the ironing face of the iron.

4. In a steaming iron, a body-member having a steam chamber and inletand outlet ports to and from said chamber, a pair of non-parallelopposed steam bailles disposed in the body-member trans- Versely acrosssaid chamber in overlapping relationship and extending verticallyupwardly vfrom the bottom of the chambensaid baille-means being at theirupper extremities spaced downwardly from the top of the chamber andfurther being laterally spaced at their overlapping portions to providea passage therebetween for permitting condensate to ow along the door ofsaid chamber toward the heel of the iron, and means operativelyconnected with the steam chamber for passing steam to the ironingface ofthe iron.

5. In a steaming iron, a body-member having a steam chamber and inletand outlet ports to and from said chamber, a pair of non-parallel baiileplates disposed in said chamber, one of said `plates extending obliquelypartially across said versely across the chamber from the bottomupwardly to a point adjacent the top of the chamber whereby to dividethe chamber into forward and rearward compartments connected in theregion of the top across the upper margin of the baillemeans, saidbaille-means further being provided with a passage in the region ofthebottom of the chamber connecting the forward and rearwardcompartments for permitting uninterrupted flow of condensatetherebetween, a steam inlet disposed in the heel of the iron at a pointabove the plane of the top-margin of the baflie-means, a condensate welldisposedcentrally of the door of the rear compartment, an outlet portformed in rthev heel of the iron, conduit means connecting the bottom ofthe condensate well with the outlet port for causing the condensate tobe en- Atrained in the outowing steam and removed therewith, and meansoperatively connected with the steam chamber for passing steam to theironing face of the iron.

7. In a steaming iron, a body-member having a steam chamber, baillemeans extending transversely across the chamber from the bottom upletdisposed in the heel of the iron at a point above the plane of thetop-margin of the baillemeans, a condensate well disposed centrally ofthe floor of the rear compartment, an outlet port formed in the heel ofthe iron, a vertical conduit, diametrically smaller than the condensatewell and extending downwardly to a point adjacent the bottom thereof andbeing at its upper end connected to the outlet port, whereby theoutfiowing steam will pass through the conden sate well into the conduitand by entraining the condensate ln the Well remove such condensate, andmeans operatively connected with the steam chamber for passing steam tothe ironing face of the iron.

8. In a steaming iron, a body-member having a steam chamber and adistributing chamber positioned above the sole of the iron, means forcontinuously supplying live steam to the steam chamber, a valve chamberhaving an inlet passage opening into the steam chamber and an outletpassage of substantially' smaller diametrical size than the diametricalsize of the inlet passage, a tube of substantially larger diametricalsize than the diametrical size of the outlet passage connecting theoutlet passage of thevalve with the distributing chamber, said tubeextending bodily through the steam chamber in the path of the incomingsteam whereby to be maintained at substantially the same temperature asthe incoming steam so that any moisture carried by the steam issuinginto the tube from the outlet passage will be re-vaporized, and means inthe valve chamber for controlling the ow therethrough.

9. In a'steaming iron, a body-member having a steam chamber and inletand outlet ports to and from said chamber, a pair of non-parallel ,atalsmaar opposed baiiies disposed in the body-member transversely acrosssaid chamber in overlapping relationship, said baille-means beinglaterally spaced at their overlapping portions to provide a passagetherebetween for permitting condensate to ow along the iioor of saidchamber toward the heel or' the iron, a distributing chamber positionedabove the sole of the iron, means for continuously supplying live steamto the steam chamber, avalve chamber having an inlet passage openinginto the steam chamber and an outlet passage of substantially smallerdiametrical sizey than the diametrical size of the inlet passage, a tubeof substantially larger diametrical size than the diametricalsize of theoutlet passage connecting the outlet passage of the valve with thedistributing chamber, said tube extending bodily through the steamchamber in the path of the incoming steam whereby to be maintained atsubstantially the same temperature as the incoming steam so that anymoisture carried by the steam issuing into the tube from the outletpassage will be re-vaporized, and means in the valve chamber forcontrolling the ow therethrough.

10. In a steaming iron, a body-member having a steam chamber,baule-means extending transversely across the chamber from the bottom upWardly to a point adjacent the top of the chamber whereby to divide thechamber into forward and rearward compartments connected in the regionof the top across the upper margin of the baille-means, saidbaille-means further being provided with a passage in the region of thebottom of the chamber connecting the forward and rearward compartmentsfor permitting uninterrupted ow of condensate therebetween, a steam inledisposed in the heel of the iron at a point above the plane of thetop-margin of the bafiie-means, a condensate well disposed centrally ofthe floor of the rear compartment, an outlet port formed in the heel ofthe iron, conduit means connecting the bottom of the condensate wellwith the outlet port for causing the condensate to be entrained in theoutowing steam and removed therewith, a distributing chamber positionedabove the sole of the iron, means for continuously supplying live steamto the steam chamber, a valve chamber having an inlet passage openinginto the steam chamber and an outlet passage of substantially smallerdiametrical size than the diametrical size of the inlet passage, a tubeof `substantially larger diametrical size than the diametrical size ofthe outlet passage connecting the outlet passage of the valve with thedistributing chamber. said tube extending bodily through the steamchamber in the path of the incoming steam whereby to be maintained atsubstantially the same temperature as the incoming steam so that anymoisture carried by the steam issuing into the tube from the outletpassage will be re-vaporized, and means in the valve chamber forcontrolling the ow therethrough. CHESTER M. CHAPIN.

